Blue Temptations
by magsofthemuses
Summary: Two vagabonds try to survive on the cold streets.


Two girls scrambled into a back alley and ducked behind a pair of trash cans, trying to hold still against their chilled shivers until the burning brightness of the flashlights vanished. Mag clutched at Marni's arm waiting for her friend to move as her brown eyes flickered back and forth, seeing nothing.

"Let's go," Marni murmured, helping her blind friend to her feet.

The city reminded Marni of a dead cat she had once found curled up in a box. It's fleshed rotted partially into a black liquid it couldn't have been alive so why was it's fur rippling? Maggots. Hundreds of them burrowing within the carcass giving what remained of it's fur the illusion of movement and life. Mag had suggested their bury it and the two girls had carried the box to a small patch of land on the edge of a crematorium. She wondered if there was now grass or flowers where they had buried it. Could anything grow in this city of the dead? Even the city's air smelled acrid and foul. Death permeated the entire city and infected those still breathing, only the dead were safe from further sickness.

"Damn, Clean Crews! With them and the GeneCops on the street you can't get more than five steps without being questioned," Mag grumbled.

Marni gave Mag's hand a tight, comforting squeeze and smiled, "We'll be alright."

Mag grimaced, winter was setting in and the past few nights had been bitterly cold. If it got much worse they were going to be hard pressed to keep from freezing to death. Maybe they should dive the next dumpster they came across and see if they could find anymore clothes.

The girls kept their hair hidden under scarves and their curves under whatever rags they managed to retrieve from shelters and dumpsters. They were invisible to the wealthy and uninteresting to the poor. They lived as vagabonds using the knowledge their lost family had passed on to them to survive. Marni and Mag were fairly certain they weren't blood relations of any sort even though they had often pretended they were as young girls. Two sweet young girls claiming to be sisters who had lost sight of their parents in a crowd would often draw sympathy and handouts. They looked similar enough for people to believe their stories with their dark locks and eyes that seemed overly large in their pale faces.

It was better than stealing though they had resorted to that on occasion. Usually in the winter when the bitter cold forced them to pay for warmer accommodation.

Just like now.

Three dumpsters later all they had gained was pain in their toes and fingertips. It was time to pull a con and with the time of Winter Festivals fast approaching there was no shortage of heavy pockets on the street to choose from. One of their favorite tricks was to let Mag stand on a corner with a cap and sing to passerbys. Most people would fall over themselves to help out a poor, handicapped young girl and while Mag charmed them with her smile and her voice Marni's quick fingers would dance through their purses.

Their catches would walk away much poorer and none the wiser.

Mag was in great form tonight and the softly falling snow simply added to her air of mystique.

An elderly woman in a long thick coat was about to be much lighter, Marni casually glanced about the crowd until she spotted a heavy-set man in a suit with slightly graying temples. He had a pleasant but dull face, focused entirely on Mag's performance. Perfect. She started to slip her fingers into his pocket-

His grip was strong on her arm and as he wrenched her around to face him Marni cried out in pain causing the crowd to scatter away. She dropped her cap and her wet hair whipped at her face. The man's eyes seemed to flash as he glowered at her and Marni couldn't help but let a slight whimper escape her lips. Mag froze in place, unsure of what to do. Unable to see what had happened.

The man held his grip a moment longer and out of the corner of her eye Marni spotted a woman raise a gun to her head. The silence was deafening and Marni wondered what her blood would look like splashed across the snow.

Then the man let her go.

She stumbled over to Mag and squeezed her arm to reassure her.

The man laughed and waved the gunwoman's weapon away. He bent over to retrieve Marni's cap from the ground and held it out to her. She hesitated and then took it from his out-stretched hand. He's smile widened as if he was waiting for something.

"Uh... Thank you," Marni pulled Mag close to her.

"Do you know who I am?"

"That voice..." Mag hissed into Marni's ear, "that's Rotti Largo!"

The head of GeneCo?

_Oh, shi-_

"Girls," he stepped closer to them with his arms spread as if he meant to embrace them, "would you do me the honour of granting a lonely man a favour?"

"What do you want?" Mag's sightless eyes narrowed in suspicion. Lonely men were usually interested in one thing.

"Join me for dinner? You both look like you could use a hot meal and I think I would enjoy your company. It's not often you encounter such young talent," Rotti Largo raised his hand and a long black limo pulled up in the street behind him.

Marni hesitated then turned to her friend. Mag may not have been able to see Largo's face but she could often hear more than what people wanted to say.

"Mag?" she whispered, "what should we do?"

They rode off with Rotti moments later.

**END**


End file.
